The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse
by Warriorcat890
Summary: Tragedy has befallen ThunderClan, but Sunblaze, one of the newest warriors, doesn't even have time to grieve. With a prophecy foretelling a grim future hanging over her head, StarClan has advised her to seek out a badger by the name of Midnight. The plan seems absolutely ludicrous, but she doesn't have a choice. Will she ever uncover the truth? Takes place after TLH. Contains OCs.
1. Prologue & Allegiances

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Prologue & Allegianes_

This story begins exactly where Rising Sun left off. :)

I don't own Warriors.

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**Prologue**

A gray she-cat sat near a waterfall. She gazed down at the thousands of gallons of water plunging over the edge in perpetual motion. The mist that rose up from the base of the waterfall dampened her fur, but she had chosen this meeting spot for a special reason—the same reason she had when she had chosen it before.

"Bluestar," a tom's voice meowed calmly.

Bluestar did not look up from the water as a ginger tom approached her. "Greetings, Firestar. Good hunting, I presume?"

He dipped his head. "Good as always. Sandstorm and I were sharing a thrush when I got your message. You wanted to speak with me?"

She nodded. "Yes, but not yet, Firestar. We have a few more cats we are waiting on," she meowed. "I'm sure you're wondering why I chose this meeting place… We mustn't be overheard by any others… No need to worry anyone. Firestar, I fear that Sunblaze's challenges are still only just beginning."

"I should say so!" a raspy she-cat's voice agreed. Firestar purred as a ragged gray she-cat with scars covering her pelt padded forward.

"Yellowfang," he greeted her happily. "How's the prey running?"

The medicine cat bared her teeth and let out a hiss of annoyance. "There's no time for niceties, Firestar!" she snapped. "This mist is soaking into my pelt! Bluestar the last time you called me here, I ached for a moon! Spottedleaf did too!"

The ginger tom looked away, an undeterminable emotion flashing in his eyes, but he quickly pushed it away. "Be that as it may," Bluestar continued, ignoring the former medicine cat that opened her jaw to say more. "This is important, just as it was before… Fire is growing stronger… Cinderheart has joined StarClan and Stoneclaw is dead…"

"But ThunderClan's problems are not over," Firestar continued. "This is the calm before the storm."

Yellowfang let out an annoyed hiss. "And what do you two geniuses think we should do about it exactly?"

Bluestar looked at her Clan-mate. Her blue eyes seemed glazed with worry. "I think that Sunblaze should go away for a different kind of training—a training that the Clans cannot give her."

The former medicine cat stared a Bluestar for a long moment. "What are you thinking Bluestar?" she inquired hesitantly. It was obvious that she feared whatever Bluestar had in mind.

"I think that she should visit Midnight."

"Midnight the badger?" Firestar inquired with wide green eyes

"No, Midnight the Twoleg! What do you think?" Yellowfang snapped, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Firestar glared at her before returning his attention to Bluestar. "Do you really think that's necessary?" he asked.

Bluestar sighed. "I believe that Midnight will give her the answers she is searching for. The badger knows more than we do… She could help her make sense of everything."

"But why would Sunblaze need to learn more? The Three never searched her out for help," Yellowfang pointed out.

"The Three had a threat that was not an immediate danger. This one is. I fear that Sunblaze might not be strong enough on her own. This darkness is too powerful… Even the sun cannot shine when there's an eclipse," Bluestar mewed solemnly.

All of the cats were silent for a long moment as they recognized the truth in Bluestar's words. Finally, Firestar asked, "Should I tell her to find Midnight? I'll walk in her dreams and tell her where to find her."  
The gray she-cat nodded. "Yes. Go now, my apprentice. I will speak with Bramblestar. Yellowfang, I want you to go to Jayfeather."

Yellowfang hissed. "Why do I get the moody one?"

"_Now,_ Yellowfang," Bluestar growled in annoyance.

The three cats began to fade as they focused on walking in the dreams of their assigned cats. Each of them knew that a dark time was approaching, and the frightening part was, the chosen cat to defeat this darkness might not be powerful enough to do what the prophecy proclaimed.

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Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Bramblestar – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy:** Squirrelflight – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Jayfeather – gray tabby tom with blind, blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tomcat

Sorreltail – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Cloudtail – longhaired white tom with blue eyes

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches

Leafpool – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Apprentice; Amberpaw (ginger she-cat)

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose – cream-colored tom

Hazeltail – small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker – gray-and-white tom

Lionblaze – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap – reddish tabby tom

Icecloud – white she-cat

Apprentice; Snowpaw (white tom)

Toadstep – black-and-white tom

Blossomfall – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Apprenitce; Dewpaw (light gray tabby tom with darker stripes)

Bumblestripe – very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovewing – pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool – silver-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyes

Moleclaw – brown-and-cream tom

Lightfoot – light gray she-cat with darker gray patches and pale yellow eyes

Seedfall – very pale ginger she-cat

Lilyheart – dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Sunblaze – golden-furred she-cat with amber eyes

Hollyflight – jet-black she-cat with green eyes

Finchtail - light gray tom with lighter patches

Queens:

Poppyfrost – tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Berrynose's kits: Graykit (gray tom), and Tigerkit (dark brown tom)

Cherrystripe – ginger she-cat with blue eyes; mother of Foxleap's kits

Elders:

Millie – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Graystripe – longhaired gray tom with pale yellow eyes

Spiderleg – long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Blackstar- very old large white tom with jet-black paws

Deputy: Rowanclaw – ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Lilystem – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice; Fogpaw (white tomcat)

Warriors:

Applefur – mottled brown she-cat

Kinkfur – tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Crowfrost – black-and-white tom

Apprentice; Falconpaw (gray tom)

Snowbird – pure white she-cat

Ivytail – black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Apprentice; Gingerpaw (ginger she-cat)

Owlclaw – light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot – gray she-cat with black feet

Apprentice; Fernpaw (light brown tabby she-cat)

Scorchfur – dark gray tom

Tigerheart – dark brown tabby tom

Pinenose – black she-cat

Ferretclaw – cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing – ginger tom

Apprentice; Runepaw (ginger tom)

Tansyfoot – tortoiseshell tom

Snakefang – black tom with green eyes

Talonfur – ginger tom with white underbelly

Yewpelt – golden tom

Queens:

Dawnpelt – cream-furred she-cat; mother of Ferretclaw's kits: Juniperkit (gray she-cat), Whitekit (white tom), and Deerkit (brown tabby tom)

Elders:

Oakfur – small, brown tom

Smokefoot – black tom

Toadfoot – dark brown tom

**WindClan**

Leader: Onestar – brown tabby tom

Deputy: Crowfeather – dark gray tom

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight – mottled gray tom

Warriors:

Whitetail – small, white she-cat

Swallowtail – dark gray she-cat;

Gorsetail – very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur – ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice; Rabbitpaw (brown tom)

Emberfoot – gray tom with two dark paws

Apprentice; Badgerpaw (large gray tom with white underbelly)

Sunstrike – tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

Whiskernose – light brown tom

Furzepelt – gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur – large pale gray tom

Moonfur – white she-cat

Lakestorm – black tomcat

Queens:

Sedgewhisker – light brown tabby she-cat; mother of Bouldefur's kits: Lichenkit (brown tom) and Brackenkit (ginger tom)

Nightcloud – black she-cat; mother of Crowfeather's kits: Leafkit (brown tabby she-cat), Dawnkit (cream-colored she-cat), and Ashkit (gray tom)

Elders:

Webfoot – dark gray tabby tom

Tornear – tabby tom

**RiverClan**

Leader: Mistystar- gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Mintfur – light gray tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Willowshine – gray tabby she-cat

Warriors:

Graymist – pale gray tabby she-cat

Icewing – white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail – dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot – mottled gray tom

Mallownose – light brown tabby tom

Robinwing – tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Grasspelt – light brown tom

Hollowflight – dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream – pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossyfoot – brown-and-white she-cat

Rushtail – light brown tabby tom

Queens:

Duskfur – brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Duckfeather – tortoiseshell-brown-and-white she-cat

Elders:

Dapplenose – mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail – ginger-and-white tom

**Animals Outside the Clans**

Smoky – muscular gray-and-white tom that lives in a barn at the horseplace

Floss – small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

Fire – bright ginger tomcat with green eyes

Eclipse – black-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Midnight – a star-gazing badger that lives by the sea

Wren – dusky brown tom with amber eyes that lives near the sea

Sol – brown-and-tortoiseshell long-haired tom with pale yellow eyes

Stormfur – dark gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan, currently of the Tribe of Rushing Water

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook) – brown tabby she-cat, currently of the Tribe of Rushing Water

Silver - white and silver tom with dark blue eyes, member of Fire's cult

Eagle - ginger she-cat with white splotches and green eyes, member of Fire's cult

Coal - pitch-black she-cat with a white patch in the shape of a heart on her chest and white tail-tip, member of Fire's cult

Catnip - light brown she-cat with tabby stripes, member of Fire's cult

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	2. Chapter 1

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 1_

Okay. Of this story, I have up to Chapter 3 written. Chapter four is currently being written, and StarClan only knows when it will be out. Now, you may notice Sunblaze's lack of grieving for her mother and brother. She is stressed out enough as it with everything going on around her, and she is somewhat in denial. Eventually, it will hit her that they are gone, and it will start to show. I just wanted to clear that up.

I don't own Warriors in case you're new here.

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**Chapter One**

As all new warriors, Sunblaze and her littermates had to sit in silent vigil the night of their naming ceremony. Their duty was to guard the camp from trespassers, or anything in general that would wish to cause harm to the Clans. Normally, this was a happy occasion—young cats jumping to a new stepping-stone in their life, but that night, there was no cause for celebration.

In the center of the ThunderClan camp, the bodies of Cinderheart and Stoneclaw lay, their matching gray pelts illuminated by the ghostly light of the moon. Lionblaze, Sorreltail and Brackenfur were the only two left sitting in the camp. Lionblaze's head was lowered in sorrow as he mourned the loss of not only his mate, but his son as well. Sorreltail and Brackenfur sat before their daughter's body. Sorreltail lay next to Cinderheart and buried her nose in her daughter's fur while Brackenfur's tail stroked his mate's back soothingly.

Sunblaze, who sat before the bramble barrier, was rigidly still. The day's events flashed before her mind like a streak of lightning. First, it was learning that Stoneclaw—Stonepaw—had been aligned with the rogues that had been killing Clan cats for the past two moons. After that, it was almost seeing Stoneclaw trying to kill Jayfeather, ThunderClan's medicine cat, and Sunblaze having no choice but to fight her own brother. She fought her brother bravely, and in the end, had no choice but to kill him. As if having to deal with the horror of killing her own brother wasn't enough, her mother, Cinderheart, had been killed by the rogue's attack on the camp.

In the tradition of her ancestors, however, Sunblaze, Hollyflight and Finchtail were required to sit in silent vigil until sunrise. Finchtail was positioned outside the camp on the other side of the bramble barrier, and Hollyflight was near the dirtplace tunnel, assigned to watch for an attack from above, and from the dirtplace tunnel itself.

Sunblaze gazed at her sister on the other side of camp sympathetically. She couldn't imagine having to sit next to the dirtplace tunnel all night. _That would have to be the worst position ever,_ she thought.

Movement in the corner of her eye made Sunblaze look toward the apprentices' den. The familiar gray tabby pelt of Dewpaw appeared as he slipped out of the apprentices' den. Sunblaze sucked in an uneasy breath and remembered her conversation with Dewpaw earlier that day. She found it hard to believe that he found her attractive. Sunblaze tore her gaze away from the tom's lithe figure and looked at Sorreltail and Brackenfur. The golden tom was coaxing his mate to his paws. The tortoiseshell she-cat got up wearily and rested against his shoulder blade as he guided her to the fallen beach where the warriors were sheltering. _One day, that'll be Dewpaw and I,_ Sunblaze vowed silently. She could picture her future with the younger tomcat perfectly…

_Sacrifice shall be her meaning,_ a part of her reminded. Sunblaze pushed the thought away quickly and scolded herself for thinking of the prophecy. That line had haunted her ever since she learned of it when she was an apprentice. Who could blame her though? Why should she not worry about a prophecy that foretold what could be her death?

Sunblaze watched her father who still sat in the clearing. He said motionless, almost like a statue—he looked gray under the moonlight. Sunblaze's heart wrenched for Lionblaze. _Losing Cinderheart was bad enough… but then losing Stoneclaw in the same day… I shouldn't have killed him! I should have let him run! I never should have… I should've kept my claws sheathed… This is all my fault!_ she thought despairingly.

"Sunblaze," a vaguely familiar voice called. Her ears pricked up instinctively. She scanned the camp, but saw no one. Lionblaze still sat motionless, and Finchtail was outside. Hollyflight and Dewpaw were too far away, besides, it was a tom's voice that called it.

Sunblaze longed to call out to see who was there, but could not break her oath of silence. She scanned the clearing once more, but saw nothing. _The voice sounded like…_ her thoughts trailed off uneasily. _He could be visiting me now… Could he?_

As if on cue, a ghostly apparition appeared a few tail-lengths before her. Sunblaze gasped in shock. She stared at the shape as it began to fill out and take the shape of a cat. "Do not fear me, Sunblaze. You are kin of my kin, of my kin. You know me," he whispered. His voice was familiar, but there was a new, god-like ring to it. Sunblaze recognized the ginger tint in his otherwise transparent, silver fur. Stars were snagged in his fur, and a few rested on top of his forehead, ears and back. Some were at the base of his paws, and his green eyes even shined brightly as if there were stars in them too.

Sunblaze opened her mouth, and then closed it. She wondered if he knew that she could not speak. Firestar must have seen her distress. He raised his tail calmly and told her, "Do not speak—there is no need. Sunblaze, I come here to you with a message from StarClan: You must find Midnight," he meowed. "Sunblaze… the sun will be rising soon. I would like to tell you more, but time is running out. Speak with Bramblestar—he will understand."

She stared at him in shock as the ThunderClan leader began to fade from view. The sun was rising swiftly over the eastern horizon. Rays of sunlight were already slanting down into the camp, as one suddenly shone directly on Firestar. Without warning, the ginger tom burst into a tongue of fire and vanished, leaving only a few smoldering flames dying on the ground.

The young warrior stood there, gazing the dying flames with astonishment. _Find Midnight? What does that even mean?!_ she thought with distress. _Why does StarClan always have to be so vague?!_

Cats were beginning to stir inside the warriors' den, and it wasn't long before a dew even began to emerge. Sunblaze recognized the white, shaggy fur of Cloudtail, and the soft, cream-colored pelt of Berrynose. The two tomcats pulled themselves free of the fallen beech tree and padded over to her. Berrynose was twitching his whiskers in smug amusement. "Have a nice night did you?" he inquired with a purr.

Sunblaze narrowed her eyes, but otherwise shrugged. She remembered Bramblestar telling her that she could speak at dawn, but she didn't want to risk it.

"You can speak now," Cloudtail assured her, seeing her reluctance. "I don't know why we even have that rule."

"I thought you believed in StarClan after the Great Battle?" Berrynose asked lightly.

Cloudtail shrugged. "I believe dead cats can kill me, but that's about it," he replied, before looking back at Sunblaze. "Speaking of cats that want to kill me, did those rogues give you any trouble last night?"

Sunblaze shook her head. "I didn't hear or see anything. I don't know about Finchtail, though. He's been outside all night," she meowed, and then found herself purring. "The lazy sod is probably asleep," she chuckled.

While Cloudtail and Berrynose squeezed under the bramble barrier to retrieve Finchtail, Sunblaze shot a glance at Highledge, wishing that Bramblestar, or even Squirrelflight would appear. With Firestar's message still fresh in her mind, she knew that she had to ask Bramblestar about what it meant.

These thoughts swarmed around in her head as she padded over to where Hollyflight sat near the dirtplace tunnel. Her normally friendly sister was now staring at Sunblaze with abnormally narrowed eyes. A trickle of fear rushed down Sunblaze's spin. _Great StarClan! Did she me with Firestar?_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	3. Chapter 2

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 2_

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Two**

"Was your night good apart from having to sit next to the dirtplace?" Sunblaze asked conversationally. She wanted to try and keep the conversation civil and act like nothing had happened.

Hollyflight shrugged nonchalantly, but her green eyes were still slightly narrowed. "It was fine until dawn… I thought I saw… Never mind," she mewed, looking away.

Sunblaze looked at her sister, trying to hide her worry. "What?"

Her sister looked at her almost sadly. "If I told you, Sunblaze, you wouldn't believe me," she mewed.

Sunblaze forced a grim smile. _If I told you about the prophecy, would you believe me? Would you even understand?_ she wondered almost sadly. She feared that if she told Hollyflight about the prophecy, and about what Firestar said to her, that her sister would think that she was crazy… What if she told Dewpaw? _Would Dewpaw even still care about me if I told him about the prophecy?_

Turning away, she padded toward Jayfeather's den, longing to tell him about what Firestar said. She saw Squirrelflight descending Highledge and moved faster, not wanting the ginger deputy to call on her to go on a patrol. Sunblaze was able successfully sneak away and slip into Jayfeather's den. The gray medicine cat was still curled up in his nest, his sides gently rising and falling. Sunblaze thought he looked somewhat innocent with his tail wrapped up and around his nose, but the cat suddenly jerked awake.

Sunblaze jumped back with surprise. "Sunblaze?" Jayfeather asked, his ears working tirelessly, rotating around his head like radar dishes, absorbing everything he could hear.

"Yes…" she whispered softly. "I have to tell you something."

He pulled himself to his paws, his blind eyes gazing at her intently. "Well? Do you want me to read your mind to get it out of you?" he asked, his voice thick with annoyance.

She held back an amused purr at Jayfeather's sarcastic personality and took a deep breath. "This morning… when I was still sitting my vigil… Firestar came and visited me."

Jayfeather dipped his head. "Yellowfang came to me as well. She told me about Midnight."

"What does that even mean?" Sunblaze groaned.

He gazed at her curiously, and then looked somewhat smug. "I guess you weren't alive yet when she came. "Midnight is a badger."

Sunblaze stared at him for a long moment, struggling not to let her jaw drop. She had never seen a badger before, and she didn't exactly want to. Frightening nursery tales about when the badgers attacked the camp and killed Cinderpelt were very real in her mind. She certainly did not doubt their strength and ferocity. "You… You're kidding." Sunblaze whispered.

Jayfeather let out a rare purr of laughter. "No, actually. I'm not. Midnight is a badger. Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Stormfur, Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Crowfeather went on a journey to bring the Clans to the lake and met her on their journey. She was the one who sent the prophecy that the old forest was going to be destroyed by Twolegs and that we should come here to the lake."

"So… I have to find her?" she asked unenthusiastically.

Jayfeather nodded. "I think so."

Sunblaze groaned and shook her head. "Well… how are we even supposed to communicate with her if she's a badger?" She was not very enthusiastic about finding Midnight. _What could some stupid badger have to tell me? Why would Firestar tell me to find her? What could she do?_

"She can speak our language," Jayfeather replied simply. "I've met her before. She's quite intelligent. Who knows, maybe she'll be able to help you figure out the prophecy, and your destiny. That's probably why StarClan wants you to find her."

"Jayfeather!" a voice called from outside the den. A moment later, the ThunderClan leader bounded into the den, almost colliding with Sunblaze. Bramblestar skidded to a halt and took a few steps back, shaking out his pelt and lifting his head almost regally. "I need to speak with you."

"Let me guess—you had a dream about Sunblaze needing to find Midnight?" Jayfeather meowed more than asked.

Bramblestar's eyes widened for a moment, then allowed his brown tabby fur to lie flat. "I… I should have guessed that they would inform you as well…" he meowed with a glance at Sunblaze. "And you too."

Sunblaze looked at her former mentor and Clan leader with an exasperated expression. "I don't really see why I need to go to find her! Why can't I stay here with my Clan-mates?"

Her leader's face hardened slightly. "Sunblaze, I know that it's not easy having a prophecy—I've been through it, and I understand that you just want to be a normal, regular cat, but sometimes… sometimes you need to be strong and act more grown up than you really are. The life of a prophesized cat is never an easy one. You grow up having burdens so much greater than your peers'."

She let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine… where is this Midnight?"

Bramblestar's eyes clouded for a moment. "Midnight lives at the sun-drown-place."

"The what?!" Sunblaze gasped in disbelief. "Where is that?"

"West of here," Bramblestar answered. "It is a place with sand and salty water that goes on for sky-lengths and sky-lengths. She has a den there and watches the stars at night."

Sunblaze just stared at her leader for a moment as if he had grown another head. "Alright whatever, tell me when I have to leave," she muttered before whipping around and exiting the den. Annoyance prickled under her pelt making her angry with Bramblestar, Jayfeather and StarClan. _Do they think that I can't do this on my own or something?_ Before, she would have given anything for help, but now, she just wanted it to be over quickly so she could get on with her life, or die if that's what the prophecy proclaimed.

As a result of the whole episode, she left Jayfeather's den feeling more than overwhelmed. Now, not only did she have to fulfill the prophecy, but also find a talking badger! Questions swarmed in Sunblaze's mind making her unable to think of anything else. How was she supposed to serve her Clan while she was away? Did she make her warrior vows for nothing? And how the Clan react? What would Dewpaw say? Would Bramblestar even tell them about the prophecy or just send her off by herself in the middle of the night?

If Squirrelflight had summoned her for a patrol, Sunblaze didn't hear her. She stalked toward the warriors' den with her fur quite ruffled. As she traversed the camp, she scanned the area for signs of Dewpaw, but found none. She spotted Brightheart and Sorreltail sharing a pigeon by the fresh-kill pile, and Mousewhisker and Cherrystripe were sharing tongues near the warriors' den. Sunblaze saw the she-cats belly bulging out farther than usual. _She'll be joining the nursery soon,_ she observed as the she-cat licked her mate's cheek affectionately. Her heart suddenly ached for Dewpaw. _Is it even possible for us? Could we become mates and have kits with the prophecy hanging over my head?_

She entered the warriors' den to be greeted by Finchtail who sat in the nest nearest to the entrance of the fallen beech tree. His normally, bright and shining green eyes were now dull with the loss of his mother and brother. His unusually lethargic behavior made Sunblaze's thoughts cease. How could I be so worried about myself when Cinderheart and Stoneclaw are dead? They are dead and I'm only worried about my own problems! Sunblaze spotted a pair of gleaming, narrowed green eyes gazing at her from a corner. She recognized the scent as Hollyflight's, but her sister's suspicious gaze was unnatural for her normally cheerful face.

An icy fear manifested itself deep inside Sunblaze. _Will Hollyflight turn against me as well?_ she wondered fearfully. _Will they all drift away from me? Will I lose all the members of my family? Is this what the prophecy meant by "sacrifice shall be her meaning"?_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	4. Chapter 3

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 3_

D'awwwww romance.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Three**

After a day of rest, Sunblaze was ready to get back to being a warrior. She pulled herself out of the warriors' den and spied Squirrelflight, Berrynose, Cloudtail and Birchfall sitting at the base of Highledge, going over patrols. Sunblaze bounded over feeling quite refreshed.

When the ginger deputy spotted her, Squirrelflight waved her over with her tail. "Good. Sunblaze, since you're taking the initiative of your littermates, and these senior warriors are too lazy, how would you like to lead the dawn patrol along the WindClan border?"

Sunblaze stared at Squirrelflight with astonishment. "Me? A patrol…? Really?" she asked. She couldn't believe it that just because she woke early, she got to lead a patrol, and on her second day as a warrior!

The deputy's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Well? Why not? Why don't you take Blossomfall, Whitewing and Dewpaw?" she suggested.

The young she-cat's heart leapt at the aspect of getting to see Dewpaw once more. "Okay!" she purred before racing off to the warriors' den to retrieve Whitewing and Blossomfall. She spotted the tortoiseshell she-cat lying in the midst of a large crowd of sleeping cats next to her brother, Bumblestripe. Sunblaze picked her way over carefully, while watching Whitewing snuggle with Birchfall deeper within the throng of sleeping cats.

When she finally got to Blossomfall, she prodded the she-cat in the shoulder with her paw. "Blossomfall," she whispered, bending down close to her ear. "Blossomfall, you're on dawn patrol."

The she-cat blinked open her eyes and looked up at Sunblaze with surprise. "What did you say?" she inquired groggily.

"You and Dewpaw are on my patrol with Whitewing," Sunblaze whispered. The words seemed to leave a strange aftertaste in her mouth like Jayfeather's herbs did. It was an odd sensation to tell another warrior that they were on [I]_her_[/I] patrol.

Blossomfall yawned, her lips stretching back and exposing her sharp white fangs. "Alright. I'll go get him," she murmured, pulling herself to her paws.

As Blossomfall headed to the apprentices' den, Sunblaze was already picking her way over to Whitewing. The pure white she-cat snuggled close to her light brown mate, her flanks rising and falling slowly with her steady breaths. Sunblaze felt remorseful as she nudged the older she-cat awake. Unlike Blossomfall, Whitewing didn't need and explanation. "Patrol?" she guessed, and Sunblaze only needed to nod for her to be willing to follow.

The two she-cats padded into the camp just in time to see Blossomfall and Dewpaw emerge from the apprentices' den. Dewpaw's fur silver-gray fur shone brightly under the morning sunlight. Sunblaze thought for a moment that her heart had stopped. He looked more like a strong, muscular warrior than an apprentice. He seemed as nearly as large as Lionblaze and Bramblestar were. Sunblaze quickened her pace in urgency to be beside him. "Are you guys ready?" she asked, purring at the close proximity of Dewpaw and the exhausted look on his face.

"As ready as I'll ever be," the apprentice responded.

Sunblaze longed to hang back and talk to the younger cat, but since she was the leader of the patrol, she had to take charge. "Alright, then. Let's move out."

As they neared the WindClan border, Sunblaze could make out the outline of the moors in the distance. She could taste the undesirable scent of WindClan on her tongue. They reached the first scent-marker quickly and she put the two older cats in charge of marking the border while she and Dewpaw stood guard.

While the other two she-cats were busy with laying down the markers, Sunblaze padded over to Dewpaw. "Hey," she mewed softly. She felt suddenly afraid that if she spoke to loud, it would ruin the entire moment.

Dewpaw looked at her with warm blue eyes. "Hey. I've missed you. The apprentices' den isn't the same without you," he murmured.

Sunblaze felt warm all over from his words. "I've missed you too…I miss all of you, but especially you," she added at the end, giggling a little.

He let out a small purr of laughter, and then looked into her eyes. His blue eyes were full of genuine love and care. "Sunblaze… when I become a warrior… I… I was just… I was wondering if I could make my nest next to yours?"

She stared at him for a moment, shocked. Sunblaze searched his face, looking for another incentive, but could see only one. "You mean… you want to be my mate?"

Dewpaw's eyes lit up. "If you want me to," he purred.

Sunblaze's heart fluttered. Her pelt suddenly felt hot, and she looked down with embarrassment. "Yes, Dewpaw," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I would like that… I would like that very much."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	5. Chapter 4

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 4_

Chapter four is here and five will follow momentarily! This chapter and chapter five are relatively short. I'm expecting the journey to start up around seven or eight. This book will be about as long, or possibly a bit longer than book 1. Just trying to give you a good estimate. Dewpaw gets his warrior name in the next chapter! Are you excited? I am! I hope you like the names I've picked out for him and his siblings.

I don't own Warriors.

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**Chapter Four**

Sunblaze proceeded to lead her patrol farther along the WindClan border and closer to the Moonpool. They stopped periodically to lay down more borders and Dewpaw and Sunblaze would stand guard as usual, sitting closer together than usual. Sunblaze sighed happily and just inhaled Dewpaw's scent as she gazed out over the moors.

She watched carefully as the grass swayed in the breeze. Suddenly, she saw something tearing through the grass coming right at her and Dewpaw. "What is that?" she asked, nudging Dewpaw with her tail.

As the younger cat looked, a rabbit came into view and hopped across the border into ThunderClan territory. A moment later, a WindClan cat came rushing after it. He sank his claws into the rabbit's shoulders and snapped its neck. It was dead, but Sunblaze growled the moment the cat's paws touched ThunderClan soil. "Hey! You're trespassing!" Sunblaze snarled, bounding over.

The cat took a few steps back, and then looked down. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"Sorry catches no prey!" Sunblaze spat. She heard Blossomfall and Whitewing come up behind her, and was well aware of Dewpaw standing at her side, his hackles raised.

"What's going on here?" Blossomfall inquired before looking the WindClan apprentice. "Go back to your territory, kitten!" she hissed.

"We're letting him go back?!" Dewpaw asked with outrage. "That rabbit is _ThunderClan_ prey now! It crossed the border, and it was killed here. It's stealing!"

"Rabbitpaw?" a tom's voice called. A moment later, a brown tabby tom leapt over the stream and padded to the apprentice. "I told you to let it go, Rabbitpaw!" the tom snarled. "It was heading straight for ThunderClan land!"

The apprentice hung his head. "I'm sorry, Leaftail… it's just that Clan hasn't had much prey lately and—"

Leaftail cut Rabbitpaw off by boxing the young tom's ears making him squeak in surprise. "Silence!" he hissed. He then looked at Sunblaze and her patrol. "I offer my sincerest apologies for my apprentice's lack of intelligence. I told him to not chase that rabbit, but he disobeyed me. This problem will not occur again," he said, shooting a glare at the apprentice.

Sunblaze knew by the looks on her companion's faces that she wasn't the only ones who heard the apprentice's slip. It was common knowledge that you never talked about your Clan's hardships and possible weaknesses around cats from other Clans. As Sunblaze looked the two toms over, she noticed how scrawny they were. Of course, WindClan cats always were skinny and fragile from their diet of rabbit, but they looked even worse than usual. Were WindClan really starving out on the moors? The ribs and hip bones of both toms could be seen through their short, smooth fur. Sunblaze realized that prey must be getting harder to find on every territory. _RiverClan has their fish that are almost always at their disposal, plus the other creatures that flock to the wetlands for water. ThunderClan has the forest and all of its bounty… ShadowClan live in the marshes with their frogs, rats, snakes, all the other disgusting things they eat. WindClan cats just have their rabbits. It must be hard for them to survive on just those creatures. Rabbit doesn't do much to keep meat on their bones as it is._

She looked at Blossomfall and Whitewing, expecting the older warriors to say something. When they didn't, she became embarrassed. _She_ was the leader of this patrol. She was the one supposed to speak. "Don't let it happen again," she meowed. Her lack of confidence showed in her voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. "ThunderClan will overlook it this time, but the prey _does_ belong to ThunderClan. It crossed the border to _our _territory and was killed on _our_ land it. It is rightfully ours."

Leaftail's eyes widened in outrage. "You can't do that!" he hissed. "It was WindClan that caught the prey! Besides, it was on our land before it crossed onto yours!"

Blossomfall's lips curled back in a snarl. "Is WindClan really so weak that they can't sacrifice one piece of prey?"

Leaftail's eyes blazed with anger. "Is ThunderClan really so selfish that they would take away something that could save the life of a cat who needs it more? "

"So you are admitting your Clan's weakness?" Dewpaw said, smirking slightly.

Leaftail let out a loud growl. "My Clan's status is none of your business! Leaf-fall is just beginning, and it will be over before we can blink our eyes! Then leaf-bare will be upon us. We all need prey."

"ThunderClan needs it just as much as you do," Whitewing pointed out.

Sunblaze let out an annoyed growl. "Let the rabbit-chasers have it!" she hissed over her shoulder. "We don't have time to stand here arguing all day. Rabbits don't taste that good anyway. Why argue over one rabbit when we have an entire forest rich with delicious mice, voles, birds and squirrels?"

Leaftail narrowed his eyes. "Come on, Rabbitpaw!" he hissed, plunging through the thick foliage toward the stream to return to WindClan territory.

Rabbitpaw looked at the ThunderClan cats one last time before picking up the rabbit and bounding after his mentor.

"Why did you let them just take it?!" Blossomfall demanded once the WindClan cats were out of hearing range. "The WindClan tom was right—leaf-bare is right around the corner! ThunderClan will need _every_ piece of prey it can get!"

"Did you not see the bones poking through their fur, Blossomfall? They are starving."

Blossomfall's lips curled back in a snarl. "Maybe they are, but that doesn't mean we're a charity! We have our own cats to feed. We can't go drop prey right into their paws like that! Plus, how can we expect those stupid rabbit-brains to listen and obey boundary rules if we let them get away with stuff like this?!"

"It was an apprentice, Blossomfall," Whitewing reasoned. "He was probably so excited that he was chasing a rabbit that he forgot about the borders. We were all apprentices once, and we've all felt the thrill of the first hunt where the blood roared in our ears and adrenaline pumped through our veins."

Blossomfall sniffed indignantly as if she didn't want to admit that she had once been an overly enthusiastic apprentice. "I suppose. But were we ever let off the hook when we crossed the border?"

Sunblaze shook her head. "It's over now. There's nothing we can do to change it, so there's no use crying over lost prey."

Whitewing nodded. "Sunblaze is right. What's done is done. Let us continue marking the border and then return to camp."

Sunblaze led her patrol into camp, a squirrel clamped tightly in her jaws. On the way back to camp, they had decided to hunt, and Sunblaze and Dewpaw had managed to work together to catch a squirrel and a pigeon that Dewpaw was carrying in. Blossomfall and Whitewing had stumbled upon a nest of mice and had a field day. The Clan would be fed for at half a moon with all the mice the two have caught.

The four cats piled their catches up on the fresh-kill pile when Graystripe and Millie came over. "Did you catch all that?" Millie asked with wide eyes.

Blossomfall's eyes shone. "Yes! Whitewing and I raided a mice nest!"

Graystripe and Millie both purred. "Well done, Blossomfall," Graystripe praised.

Millie nodded. "You did very well."

Blossomfall beamed. Sunblaze smiled at her, glad that she was finally getting attention from her parents. Graystripe had always been there for his kits, but when Briarlight, their second daughter was crushed by a tree and had her spine broken, Millie focused almost entirely on her daughter. Millie almost ignored her other two kits, Blossomfall and Bumblestripe. A few moons ago, Briarlight died after fluid built up in her lungs. Ever since then, Millie seemed to remember that she had two other kits and began to acknowledge them.

"I hear Bramblestar is calling a Clan meeting soon," Graystripe commented.

As if on cue, Bramblestar emerged from his den and leapt onto Highledge with Squirrelflight right behind him. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

"Come on," Sunblaze meowed, turning to Dewpaw. "Let's go sit."

Dewpaw laid his pigeon on the pile before padding alongside Sunblaze into the midst of the crowd of cats. Sunblaze sat down beside Brightheart. The scarred ThunderClan warrior shot her a kind look before entwining her tail with Cloudtail who sat on her other side. Sunblaze saw Spiderleg standing at the base of Highledge looking up at Bramblestar. Sunblaze was shocked at the tom's condition. The once powerful warrior now looked very small and frail. _I bet he's retiring to the elder's den._

Once the Clan was assembled, Bramblestar began. "Many cats believe that the warriors are the heart of the Clan. They are the ones who protect and defend us, and deserve honor and respect. It is true that these cats do deserve such things, but they often forget the ones who have walked before them. It is the elders who have fought to protect and defend this Clan in moons past. It is the elders who have trained the warriors who fight for us now. Each elder has endured hardships as well as many battles in their lifetimes. We all know that the life of a warrior is hard, and many die young. Those who do survive long enough to be named an elder deserve respect and honor above all else.

"Spiderleg," Bramblestar meowed, looking down at the graying cat. "Is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go join the elders?"

The tom dipped his head solemnly. "It is, Bramblestar."

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us in your time as a warrior of ThunderClan. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest."

"Spiderleg! Spiderleg!" the crowd chanted.

Spiderleg padded over and sat with Millie and Graystripe who were seated by the elders den, sharing a sparrow. The two older warriors welcomed him warmly.

Bramblestar looked out over his Clan and raised his tail for silence. "Tomorrow night is the Gathering, as you all know. It is our duty to tell the Clans about the rogues and this… New Code they have dreamed up. You are my Clan-mates, and my family, and I am not going to keep secrets from you. I fear that they will try to take over the Clans. As we know, they are recruiting Clan cats, such as Stoneclaw."

Sunblaze looked down sadly. His words reminded her of things she would have much rather left buried. _I killed my brother._ She felt Dewpaw's tail touch her flank and looked up to see his reassuring blue eyes. She smiled weakly.

"Tomorrow night, we will not tell them about Stoneclaw's involvement," Bramblestar announced. "Allow the Clans to grieve for Stoneclaw with the image of him in a warrior in their minds."  
"Why should we sugarcoat the truth?!" Lionblaze demanded from the front of the crowd. "He was a murderer! It was because of him Cinderheart is dead!"

Sunblaze peered through the crowd and saw her father on his paws, gazing up at Bramblestar with pain-filled eyes. Bramblestar looked at him evenly. "Do you want your son to go down in history as a murder?"

"Your _father_ went down in history as a murderer!" Lionblaze shot back, earning several shocked gasps to arise from the crowd.

"Lionblaze!" Squirrelflight hissed from the base of Highledge. Her green eyes were blazing with outrage as she stared down her adopted son. "Sit down this moment! Cinderheart would be ashamed of you if she saw your display!"

The golden-furred warrior just shot her a glare before sitting back down. Bramblestar didn't even react to Lionblaze's comment and went on as if it hadn't been said. "I have already organized a patrol to go to the gathering. Squirrelflight will be remaining behind to guard the camp. Brackenfur, Sorreltail, Berrynose, Foxleap, Dovewing, Bumblestripe, Lilyheart, Sunblaze, Hollyflight, and Finchtail will all come to the Gathering."

Sunblaze looked up at the mention of her name. She was pleased that she would get to go to the Gathering and see the Clan's reactions, but her emotions felt all over the place. Lionblaze's words suddenly began to sink in: Cinderheart and Stoneclaw were both dead. Sunblaze hadn't spent a lot of time with them when they were alive once she had been made an apprentice, but that didn't mean she didn't care about them! They were her family.

As Bramblestar dismissed the Clan, Sunblaze found herself still sitting beneath Highledge. "Sunblaze," Dewpaw meowed, nudging her with his paw. "It's over."

Sunblaze looked up at him and then snapped out of her daze. She rose to her paws and padded over toward the apprentices' den, then stopped herself. Dewpaw came up beside her. "You won't be staying here anymore," Dewpaw mewed. "But the good news is that Blossomfall said that I'm going to have my final assessment tomorrow! I could be a warrior by sundown tomorrow!"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" When Dewpaw became a warrior, he would move his nest next to hers in the warriors' den. They would be mates. _We can't,_ she thought suddenly. _This prophecy is a danger to those around me! Stoneclaw is dead because of me, and Cinderheart lost her life in the battle! I am a danger magnet. Everyone I love seems to get taken away from me! Hollyflight and Finchtail are even drifting further and further away._

"Dewpaw," she whispered. "I need to tell you something."

The young tom looked at her expectantly with his deep blue eyes. Sunblaze looked into them; it was quite possible to get lost in his eyes, but she refused to allow him to have that effect on her. "What is it, Sunblaze?" he prompted.

"I need to tell you tonight," she murmured. "Outside of camp where no one can overhear us."

Dewpaw gave her a skeptical look. "Sunblaze, what's going on?"

"You'll find out," she told him, turning away from him. "I just hope you don't hate me," she added softly when he was out of earshot.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	6. Chapter 5

_The Renaissance - Book 2: Eclipse - Chapter 5_

Dewpaw gets his warrior name! Yay!

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**Chapter Five**

Sunblaze left the warriors' den around moonhigh and padded over to the dirtplace tunnel. She slipped inside to find Dewpaw waiting for her. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "This better be worth it, Sunblaze!" he hissed softly.

She nodded. "It will be."

The pair squeezed through the small exit that led into the forest and were finally free. "Okay, what did you want to tell me?" Dewpaw asked.

Sunblaze shook her head. "Not here," she meowed. Without waiting for Dewpaw to reply, she bounded off into the forest toward the ShadowClan border.

"Sunblaze! Wait!" he called after her.

Sunblaze ignored him and continued through the forest. At night, the forest truly came alive with different creatures foraging and wandering around in the darkness. Sunblaze could hear Dewpaw following her, and continued toward the clearing Firestar had given to ShadowClan many moons ago after a useless battle was fought over it. When she reached the edge of the clearing, she turned to the north, slowing and allowing Dewpaw to catch up to her.

"What is your rush?!" Dewpaw panted as he came up beside her. "I shouldn't even be out here let alone going this far away from camp! I have an assessment tomorrow!"

Sunblaze sighed and looked at him. "No one can hear what I'm going to tell you, Dewpaw," she told him simply. "If you want to be my mate, then you will follow me, and you will listen."

Dewpaw looked genuinely surprised by her bluntness, but said no more. He obediently followed her as she led the way out of ThunderClan territory. This was neutral ground—no Clan cats were here, so none would overhear. Nevertheless, Sunblaze wanted to be sure. She led Dewpaw to the old abandoned Twoleg den that acted as Jayfeather's own personal herb garden. He grew catmint and other important herbs inside in case there was a shortage and an outbreak of sickness occurred. No one would be around. Sunblaze was sure of it.

Sunblaze leapt up and into the house through a small window that was about five tail-lengths off the ground. Dewpaw followed quickly and landed beside her in the den with a thud. "Will you tell me now?" he asked, his voice much less whiney.

She turned to him and nodded. "Dewpaw, please listen with an open mind," she implored. "After I was just made an apprentice, I overheard Jayfeather and Bramblestar talking about a prophecy that involved a certain ThunderClan warrior."

Dewpaw's eyes widened. "What did it say?"

Sunblaze took a deep breath. Over her many moons of pondering and fretting about the prophecy, she had memorized its exact words. She looked at him before reciting:

"_After the fire extinguished,_

_A cat of light and flame will rise from ashes._

_Kin of fire, leaf, and lion,_

_Daughter of the incarnations,_

_The sun will rise to words unspoken._

_Sacrifice shall be her meaning,_

_Only to save the forest from warriors broken and bleeding."_

Dewpaw looked at her, just jaw hanging open. "'The sun will rise to words unspoken…'" he quoted the prophecy before looking down. "It's you, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

The young tom raised his eyes to hers; they were clouded with pain and confusion. "I… I don't understand… Great StarClan, I mean… I always knew you were special and great, but I never knew this!" he exclaimed.

Sunblaze avoided his gaze. He would hate her. He would refuse to be her mate because of this. i_Why did I have to tell him?!_/i she thought with despair. _Why?! I don't understand! How could I be so foolish! I've ruined my whole life now!_ "It's okay if you don't want to be my mate now," she whispered. She was surprised at how strong her voice sounded when she was truly shattered and completely broken on the inside.

Dewpaw looked at her with confused blue eyes. "What do you mean? Why would I not want to be your mate? Sunblaze, this doesn't change the way I feel about you!" he meowed. "I still… I still… Well…" he trailed off, looking at his paws awkwardly.

Sunblaze looked up at him, with longing amber eyes. _Say it, Dewpaw,_ she begged silently. _Please say it._

"I love you, Sunblaze," he mumbled, still not looking at her.

An electric shock rushed through her. She suddenly felt as every nerve in her whole body was a live wire; she felt alive. She leaned forward and pressed her muzzle to his softly. "I love you too, Dewpaw. I will always love you."

Dewpaw's chest rumbled with a pleased purr. "Thank you, Sunblaze," he breathed, seeming more than overwhelmed by the whole revelation. "I cannot wait to officially become your mate, even though I think it's safe to admit it now. You are my mate, Sunblaze."

"And you are mine, Dewpaw."

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar's yowl echoed throughout the camp. Sunblaze poked her head out of the warriors den to see Squirrelflight sitting at the base of Highledge with Snowpaw, Amberpaw, and Dewpaw sitting before her. All three apprentices were looking up at Bramblestar expectantly. They must have passed their assessments.

The rest of the Clan began to gather, and Sunblaze joined them. "Sunblaze!" Lightfoot called from the front of the crowd. Sunblaze purred seeing her friend and padded over. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," the gray warrior whispered.

"I know," Sunblaze replied, her gaze focused on Dewpaw.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar yowled. "It is a great day when young cats complete their training and become full warriors of their Clan! Apprentices work hard from the time they are kits to learn the ways of the warrior code and learn how to protect and provide for their Clan. These young cats are to be honored for their dedication and determination to serve their Clan. It is with great pleasure that I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warriors ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I offer them to you as warriors in their turn. Icecloud, has Snowpaw completed his training?"

Icecloud dipped her head. "He has, Bramblestar."

Bramblestar nodded at the she-cat in approval. "Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," the white tom replied.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name! Snowpaw, form this moment on, you shall be known as Snowfoot. StarClan honors your speed and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar then gracefully leap down from Highledge and rested his muzzle atop Snowfoot's head. In turn, Snowfoot licked his leader's shoulder respectfully.

Bramblestar then turned to Leafpool who sat on the other side of Lightfoot. "Leafpool, has Amberpaw completed her training?"

Leafpool nodded quietly. "Yes, Bramblestar. She has."

"Amberpaw," Bramblestar meowed, turning to the ginger she-cat. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

Amberpaw nodded swiftly. "I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Amberpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Amberheart! StarClan honors your bravery and decision-making in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar rested his muzzle on top of Amberheart's head and she licked his shoulder.

Finally, Bramblestar looked to Blossomfall. "Blossomfall, has Dewpaw completed his training?"

The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded. "He has."

"Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

Dewpaw puffed out his chest and nodded vigorously. "I do." He said it with such finalism in his voice that no cat in their right minds would doubt his commitment.

Bramblestar dipped his head. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dewpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Dewleaf. StarClan honors your compassion for your Clan-mates, and your ferocity in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Snowfoot, Amberheart, Dewleaf!" the Clan chanted. Sunblaze found herself yowling loudest of all when it came time to shout Dewleaf's name. He was her mate. She had to cheer for him.

When the Clan was done chanting, Bramblestar raised his tail for silence. "As you all know, tonight is also the Gathering! I want all cats who are attending to gather at the camp entrance within a few minutes!" With that, the brown tabby leader padded over to the bramble barrier that separated the camp from the forest.

Sunblaze rushed over to Dewleaf. "I'm so proud of you!" she purred, nuzzling his cheek gently.

Dewleaf looked up at her when she pulled away, his soft, blue eyes shining. He couldn't speak—it was a part of the ceremony. He would have to remain silent until morning. He didn't need to speak; his eyes said everything Sunblaze needed to know. She looked around to make sure no one was paying too much attention before licking his cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "But I gotta go. I'm going to the Gathering. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

Her mate dipped his head. Sunblaze purred and turned around to head toward the bramble barrier. She saw Hollyflight and Finchtail waiting nearby and plodded up to them. Finchtail greeted her warmly while Hollyflight watched, her green eyes narrowed slightly. Sunblaze shivered at her sister's intense look. _Is this all about the vision of Firestar? Or is this about Dewleaf?_ Sunblaze wondered, looking back at her sister. _Should I tell her about the prophecy? Hollyflight as always told me everything… so why can't I be honest with her? Or does she blame me for Stoneclaw's death?_

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


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